The Flash Races Against Box Office Obstacles, Surpassing 3 Classic Movies in Week 3
The Flash's box office struggles persist as it lags behind three older films, raising concerns about its ability to recover its budget
The Flash's third week at the box office is as dismal as ever. Starring Ezra Miller, a controversial pop culture icon, this DC Universe superhero film is one of the remaining relics from the previous franchise iteration. However, under the new leadership of DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, the franchise is undergoing a transformation. The film initially garnered a lukewarm response with a $55 million opening, but suffered a catastrophic 72.5 percent drop in its second week, the worst in DCU history.
According to Deadline, The Flash's box office performance continues to plummet. This weekend, it has fallen to the eighth position on the domestic box office chart, trailing behind three other films released prior to its lackluster debut on June 16. These films include the ongoing success Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, as well as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and The Little Mermaid, which were released in May.
Can The Flash Even Make Its Budget Back?
The Flash is quickly falling out of the domestic box office top 10 and its prospects internationally aren't much better. Although its worldwide earnings have surpassed its reported production budget of $200 million, the movie still needs to recoup its publicity and advertising expenses. The exact cost of the movie's P&A is uncertain, but it is estimated to be around $150 million. Therefore, The Flash will need to reach a revised target of $350 million to break even. Considering its rapid decline in weekend earnings, achieving this goal seems unlikely.
The Flash faces tough competition from recent releases like No Hard Feelings and Indiana Jones and the DIal of Destiny, as well as persistent older films remaining on the charts. As summer progresses, it will face even more challenges with the upcoming releases of Insidious: The Last Door, the Barbie movie, Oppenheimer, and others. The onslaught of franchise movies and blockbuster hits could cause the DCU movie to be outshone and potentially fail to generate profits.
